Thin-film solar cell interconnection

Abstract

A thin-film solar cell module, and a method of interconnecting two or more thin-film solar cells on a foreign supporting substrate. The method comprises the step of wire-bonding an air-side electrode of one thin-film solar cell to a substrate-side electrode of an adjacent solar cell, such that said thin-film solar cells are connected in series.

1 . A method of interconnecting two or more thin-film solar cells on a foreign supporting substrate, the method comprising the step of:
 wire-bonding an air-side electrode of one thin-film solar cell to a substrate-side electrode of an adjacent solar cell, such that said thin-film solar cells are connected in series.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the wire-bonding comprises using one or more of a group consisting of a round wire, a flattened wire, and a ribbon. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air-side electrode comprises an air-side busbar and a plurality of air-side finger electrodes connected to the air-side busbar, and the substrate-side electrode comprises a substrate-side busbar and a plurality of substrate-side finger electrodes connected to the substrate-side busbar. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , comprising wire-bonding the air-side busbar of said one solar cell to the substrate-side busbar of said adjacent solar cell. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising wire-bonding the substrate-side electrode of a first one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to a first external busbar, and wire-bonding the air-side electrode of a last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to a second external busbar. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing respective conductive tapes on a first one and a last one of the series of connected thin-film solar cells such that the conductive tapes are electrically insulated from surfaces of the first one and a last one of the series of connected thin-film solar cells, and wire-bonding the substrate-side electrode of the first one of the series connected thin-film solar cells and the air-side electrode of the last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to the respective conductive tapes. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the conductive tapes are adhered to the first one and the last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells via respective non-conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising encapsulating the wire-bonding formed connections. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein an entire air-side surface of the series connected thin-film solar cells is encapsulated. 
     
     
         10 . A thin-film solar cell module comprising:
 two or more thin-film solar cells; and   a wire-bonding-formed electrical connection between an air-side electrode of one thin-film solar cell to a substrate-side electrode of an adjacent solar cell, such that said thin-film solar cells are connected in series.   
     
     
         11 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the wire-bonding-formed connection comprises one or more of a group consisting of a round wire, a flattened wire, and a ribbon. 
     
     
         12 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the air-side electrode comprises an air-side busbar and a plurality of air-side finger electrodes connected to the air-side busbar, and the substrate-side electrode comprises a substrate-side busbar and a plurality of substrate-side electrodes connected to the substrate-side busbar. 
     
     
         13 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the wire-bonding-formed connection is between the air-side busbar of said one solar cell to the substrate-side busbar of said adjacent solar cell. 
     
     
         14 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the substrate-side busbar accommodates respective pad areas for the wire-bonding-formed connection. 
     
     
         15 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the substrate-side electrodes comprise a widened pad portion for accommodating respective pad areas for the wire-bonding-formed connection. 
     
     
         16 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a wire-bonding-formed connection between the substrate-side electrode of a first one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to a first external busbar of the solar cell module, and a wire-bonding-formed connection between the air-side electrode of a last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to a second external busbar of the solar cell module. 
     
     
         17 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising respective conductive tapes on a first one and a last one of the series of connected thin-film solar cells such that the conductive tapes are electrically insulated from surfaces of the first one and a last one of the series of connected thin-film solar cells, and wire-bonding formed connections of the substrate-side electrode of the first one of the series connected thin-film solar cells and the air-side electrode of the last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells to the respective conductive tapes. 
     
     
         18 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the conductive tapes are adhered to the first one and the last one of the series connected thin-film solar cells via respective non conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         19 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising an encapsulation for the wire-bonding formed connections. 
     
     
         20 . The solar cell module as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein an entire air-side surface of the series connected thin-film solar cells is encapsulated.